A beautifully designed museum giving the visitor an impression of stone age Argyll
Kilmartin House achieves a rare feat: a museum that is both entertaining and educational. Located in a vicary next to a mideaval church in the small village of Kilmartin at the north end of the mysterious Kilmartin Glen, it was restored and upgraded to a museum by the Kilmartin House Trust to facilitate research and inspire local artits around the ancient monuments of Kilmartin Glen. The house itsself is perched above the Glen and is surrounded by old trees and a beautiful garden. The view down the valley is magnificent and in the distance you can see the mysterious bulk of Dunadd. Just across the street is a great pub, the Kilmartin Hotel that will quench your first
Getting there is easy: Kilmartin is on the A 816, the only connection between Lochgilphead and Oban and you'll be daft to miss it. There is a bus from Oban (which is accessible via a branch of the West Highland Line) and Lochgilphead.
The museum is impressive: although not big, it will give you a good impression of the evolution of the local area over the last 5000 years. There is plenty to do for the kids, and plenty to awe for the grown ups. The first part of the exhibition is a 15 minute audio-visual introduction into Dal Riada and Mid Argyll, showing the spectator the early inhabitants, the way they lived and the progress they made over the centuries.
Around the house are third party exhibitions, concerts, poetry evenings and lively partys. The local community has taken the place under its wings and is sharing the benefits from Kilmartin House as a tourist attraction.
Kilmartin House Trust, Kilmartin, Argyll, Scotland, PA31 8RQ.
http://www.kilmartin.org